Surface condenser and support therefor



y 1953 J. F. GRACE 2,639,123

SURFACE CONDENSER AND SUPPORT THEREFOR '2 Sheets-Shget 1 Filed NOV. 15, 1951 May 19, 1953 J. F. GRACE SURFACE CONDENSEQ AND SQPPORT THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 15, 1951 JOHN GRAIIVCVEE:NTOR.

Patented May 19, 1953 2,633,123 SURFACE G N E AN S EB B YTQEREFQR v i Jphn Grace, Arlington, N. J.,' z ssignor to Worthington Corporatio'nyliarrison, 5., a

corporationaof Deldware WW NQYem 15, te t $816M 25fi5 8 Claims.

This invention relates to surface condensers employed forconden'sing steam in power pisnts en s r Pa t larly ta no el meet r sun 1' me th ad on wei ht of scntdee erw ea on'edby ,ciea g id duringthe eieaning-jof the .ert ie s if the w o t n e s r In c in urfes nsifl s e tell t en it is n em t m nt in m b e tr si i i Cy! t ee t e ex, mr of th tithes 9 th s meste se'tps iqe r endthis s d He by filling e 19? th q nflense f wit e S ,K 7 ing {1 (1, Owing to the large size f such eonet se s. J. eeiegff uid r qu r d ose wesieem le W ht m be e-i d a to support suoh eigtra, we nt trom the turbine exst doigneotion or to provide for adjustnoentof su rt plates or blocks t'o compenste' for such ai'dditionei Weight imposes serious hazej-rds'espv trans if thesupport 'pletes er bl ooks'areinotz properiy restores to normal operatin'gconditioiis of the condenser after the removal of the cleaning The present invention. contemplates a struc ture whereby the additions-1 Weight of the cleaning fluid Wiii be supported directly 'frornthe'floor or" foundation upon which the *oendenser is mounted; thus freeing the connection to the-exhaust off the turbine and the normal support-s of the condenser of the strains or stresses imposed by the acitiitional Weight of the oleaning fluid, and

eliminating the need of additional supporting springs support plates or blocks and their edjustment or regulation during and after the tube cleaning operation. I

With these and other objects in View, as n l-9 y appear from the accompanying specifieation, the invention consists of various features of construetion and combination of parts, which will be first described connection with the accompanying drawings, showings surfs-e condenser eta preferred formernbodying the invention, and the features forming the invention will be specifically taken on the E e s' ragmentar cti n of e sli h mtil ne ien t the n ent on.

F u e 4 is f e menter ectivn o a ur he meqifi etion of th in tien a t Fi ure I x m n se t em a stil I th r m f w, 9i heini'enti l- R i rr ne me e parti ularl t 'dmwi ss a su fa .p'qndenser 'ofenp-rqvt nstructi 1 ha n which 1911141 5 the hell, I hai -i s e Plua i of. u es 2 thfir ilthr u hwbich t e c olg m d m is c culat fo ftondensie team wh ch n e s h 'shell t rwsh t n et 11 us l in u no sense: meanness ewe I d l v e entlemen item the exhaust of. u b ne mprsvnowmt nd the ondense c.912- nefited, t to turbine White t ne show for ec vi the e thereir m- Th steam wi t ed wi h n the she l nd th co den 'fl o t not W ll 4 and from the n when .5 otne'cond e et ss t is desi eh necest er Qithe, t

mo rests, i I t For providing sueh sup-port, a flat tank It! is provigied beneath" the condenser shell t which rests direetiy'uponthe fieornr toun dation i l. The tank" I! has an a' mlar fiense Hts" which an annular flexibie'gesket l3 eonnected bge r in'g 1'4; 'I'he 'gasket i3 is connected to an annular nemesis formed on the botto'm ofthe sheii'l tor the condenser by "a suitable attexzhi'ng ring 15 so 45 thatwcfiexibi'e connection will be" providedhetween the tank HI and"thenondensershell i so as not to interterewith the-normal: supports of the condenser during normal operation ofthe non-- ,denSerwThe topll of the tank informs the hottem it th not; well 4 es isrelearly shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. A pipe It has its inlet opening into the hot well 4 and its outlet opening into the tank III. A manually operated valve [9 is interposed in the pipe It. An outlet pipe 20 has its inlet communicating with the interior of the tank It and it has a manually operated valve 2! 1nterposed therein. A valved air vent 22 is connected to the tank I near its uppermost portion.

When it is desired to clean the tubes 2 and fill the condenser shell I with a cleaning fluid, the valves A in the condensate outlet pipe of the condenser are closed and the valve I9 is opened so that the tank will be filled with liquid and this liquid will form a rigid support between the tank I!) and the condenser shell I for supporting the weight of the cleaning fluid and the condenser shell directly from the foundation or floor I i thus relieving the normal supports of the condenser of the additional weight imposed by the cleaning fluid within the shell.

In Figure 3 of the drawings the tank 30 is shown imbedded in the concrete foundation 3| in contradistinction to resting upon the foundation as is shown in Figure l of the drawings. The hot well 32 of the condenser 33 has a flat flexible element 34 connected thereto which is also connected to the top of the metal tank 30 providing a yieldable flexible connection between these elements which together with the bottom of the hot well 32 forms a closure for the top of the tank 30. A pipe 35 is connected to the lowermost portion of the hot well 32 and extends into the tank 30 so that when the valve 36 is opened water may flow from the hot well into the tank to fill the tank so that the extra weight in the condenser occasioned by the cleansing fluid will be supported by the water in the tank 30. An outlet pipe 31 communicates with the tank 30 and has a manually operable valve 38 therein. An air vent 39 is also provided for the tank 30 which is controlled by a manually operated valve 40.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 4 of the drawings the metal tank ill or 30 is eliminated and the foundation 4| has a recess 42 therein which replaces the tank. The walls of the recess 42 have a suitable connecting element 43 shown in the drawings as a channel iron imbedded therein and the flexible gasket 44 which corresponds to the gaskets 34 and I3 is attached to this connecting element 43 and to the hot well 45 of the condenser for providing the normal yieldable support for this part of the condenser and also forming a sealed closure for the top of the recess 42. When the recess 42 is formed in the concrete foundation 4! it is, of course, waterproofed so as to prevent the leakage of water therefrom. Water to support the extra weight of cleansing fluid in the condenser and to eliminate the flexibility of the connection between the hot well 45 and foundation 4| provided by the flexible element 44 is admitted in to the recess 42 from the hot well through a pipe 46 having a manually operable valve 41 therein. The usual outlet pipe 48 and air vent 49 as shown in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings are also provided in this form of the invention.

Figure 5 of the drawings shows a slightly different construction wherein the flexible gasket or element 44 is replaced by a stufling box structure 50 which includes the shell 5| carried by the foundation 52, the packer 53 and the packing material 54 which provides a fluidtight seal between the walls of the recess or tank 55 and the sidewalls of the hot well 58. The recess or tank 55 may be in the form of a waterproofed recess in the concrete foundation 52 or in the form of a metal tank as shown in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In this form of the invention shown in Figure 5 the pipe for admitting water into the tank or recess 55, outlet pipe and air vent therefor are provided the same as in the other forms of the invention. It is understood, of course, that when the condenser tubes are being cleaned that the various tanks or recesses Hi, 30, 42 and 55 are completely filled with water so as to render the normally flexible connections between the hot well and the foundation rigid to provide a support for the extra weight occasioned by the cleansing fluid.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific construction or arrangement of parts shown, but that they may be widely modified within the invention defined by the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a surface condenser embodying a shell, a hollow tank beneath the bottom of the shell, a flexible connection between the tank and shell. an inlet pipe for admitting fluid to said tank, and an outlet pipe for permitting removal of fluid from the tank.

2. In a surface condenser embodying a shell, a hollow tank beneath the bottom of the shell, a flexible connection between the tank and shell, an inlet pipe for admitting fluid to said tank, and an outlet pipe for permitting removal of fluid from the tank, said inlet pipe having its inlet opening into said shell and a valve in said pipe.

3. In a surface condenser, the combination with a foundation for supporting the condenser, of a condenser including a shell, a hollow tank supported by said foundation and beneath said shell, a flexible connection between the tank and shell. an inlet pipe for admitting fluid to said tank whereby the weight of the shell and its contents will be supported from said foundation through said tank, and an outlet pipe for permitting removal of liquid from said tank.

4. In a surface condenser, the combination with a foundation for supporting the condenser, of a condenser including a shell, a hollow tank beneath said shell and resting upon said foundation, a flexible connection between tthe tank and condenser shell and located between the top and bottom of the tank whereby when the tank is empty said flexible connection will permit movement of the shell relative to the tank, an inlet pipe for admitting fluid to said tank and an outlet pip; for permitting removal of liquid from the 5. In a surface condenser, the combination with a foundation for supporting the condenser, of a condenser including a shell and a hot well, a hollow tank beneath the hot well, a flexible connection between the tank and hot well at the upper extremity of the tank whereby when the tank is empty said flexible connection will permit movement of the shell relative to the foundation, an inlet pipe for admitting fluid to the tank and an outlet pipe for permitting removal of liquid from the tank.

6. In a surface condenser, the combination with a foundation for supporting the condenser, of a condenser including a hot well, means forming a hollow tank beneath the bottom of said hot well, said hot well normally movable relative to the foundation, a pipe connected to the hot well and to said tank whereby the tank may be filled with water from the hot well to prevent movement of the hot Well relative to the foundation, and an outlet for water from said tank.

7. In a surface condenser, the combination with a foundation for supporting the condenser, of a condenser including a hot well, means formin a hollow tank beneath the bottom of said hot well, said hot well normally movable relative to the foundation, a pipe connected, to the hot well and to said tank whereby the tank may be filled with water from the hot Well to prevent movement of the hot Well relative to the foundation, an outlet for water from said tank, and means forming a fluid seal between said hot well and tank.

8. In a surface condenser embodying a shell and a hot well, a hollow tank beneath the bottom of the shell, an inlet pipe for admitting fluid to the tank connected to the hot well for deliverin water from the hot well to the tank, an outlet pipe for permitting removal of fluid from the tank, and flexible means supporting the shell and hot well.

JOHN F. GRACE.

No references cited. 

